One of the most challenging and rewarding aspects involved in the raising and teaching of children may be found in encouraging the development of a child's imagination. The cognitive value of creative thought is difficult to overstate. Included in this challenge, though, is the ability to entertain the child while, at the same time, to encourage the imagination.
It is well known that children often become increasing difficult to entertain in the latter hours of the day, specifically approaching bedtime. This difficulty with respect to many children derives from two factors. First, as children become more tired, they tend to be fussier and more resistive to parental guidance and suggestions. Second, many children exhibit inherent fear of the dark. This fear, while having different levels of intensity, nonetheless causes a child to forestall bedtime as long as possible. For these reasons, among others, it is recommended that parents or other guardians of children regularly spend an interval of time before bedtime that is dedicated solely to interaction with the child. Since it is desirable that this interval be spent in quieter activities, relatively few avenues are available for quiet interaction with the child. Perhaps most common among these activities is the reading of a book or other story telling with the child. The present invention recognizes the need to provide alternate activities for children that are especially suitable prior to bedtime and further response to the comforting of a child in the dark. As described more fully in this application, the present invention utilizes overlay images, one of which is visible in ambient light and the other of which luminesces.
The use of phosphorescent materials and photoluminescent materials certainly pre-dates to present invention. In the past, however, these materials have been used for luminous dials, glow-in-the-dark posters, warning decals and the like. The use of a phosphorescent material is known in one instance to be incorporated in story books wherein a portion of a picture may be represented by a pigment of the phosphorescent material disposed in the substrate whereby certain components of the picture image will glow in the dark. In other instances, phosphorescent pigments may be applied to or molded with toys or other objects so as to cause portions of those objects to glow in the dark, as well.
The present invention recognizes the need to extend the uses of phosphorescent materials in a novel manner that creates a product that further stimulates the imagination of the child. This product provides different images on a common substrate which may be linked by a theme whereby the image transforms between different light conditions thereby stimulating the child's imagination while at the same time providing a comforting object which a child may enjoy in the dark.